It is known to utilize an interlayer restraining effect as a means for improving the color reproducibility of a color photographic material. In a color negative photographic material, imparting a development restraining effect from the green-sensitive layer to the red-sensitive layer lowers the coloration of the red-sensitive layer on exposure to white light than is the coloration of the same layer on exposure to red light. Since the gradation of a color negative paper system is balanced so that exposure of the paper to white light results in a gray color in the color print, the above-described interlayer effect causes cyan coloration of a higher density on exposure to red light in the print than by gray exposure. As a result, red reproduction of a higher saturation degree is possible in the print by restraining the cyan coloration thereon. In the same way, the development restraining effect from the green-sensitive layer to the red-sensitive layer in a color photographic material gives a higher saturation degree for green reproduction.
One means of elevating the interlayer effect is the known method of using iodide ions which are released from silver halide emulsions during development. Precisely, in the photographic material to be processed by this method, the silver iodide content in the interlayer restraining effect donor layer is increased and that in the receptor layer is reduced. Another method of elevating the interlayer restraining effect is illustrated in JP-A-50-2537 (the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application"), in which a coupler capable of releasing a development inhibitor by reaction with an oxidation product of a para-phenylene diamine developing agent in a color developer is added to an interlayer restraining effect donor layer. Still another method of increasing the interlayer effect is a so-called automatic masking method in which a colored coupler is added to a colorless coupler so as to mask any unnecessary absorption of the colored dye from the colorless coupler. In this method of using such a colored coupler, the amount of the colored coupler to be added may be increased to achieve more masking than the masking necessary for absorbing the unnecessary absorption from the colorless coupler to thereby accomplish the same effect as the intended interlayer restraining effect.
Where the saturation of the primary colors of red, green and blue is increased using these methods, a drawback occurs in that the yellowish to cyanic green color hue can not be reproduced faithfully. Under the situation, U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,744 discloses a technique to overcome this drawback. In accordance with the disclosed technique, both the color sensitivity of the color photographic material and the interlayer effect-donating DIR compound to be added to the material are specifically tailored to noticeably improve the color reproducibility of the material.
On the other hand, as a means of improving the color reproducibility of a color photographic material, improvement in the coloring dyes in the material has been effected. In particular, pyrazoloazole compounds are known as compounds forming a magenta dye having an excellent hue with little unnecessary absorption. However, all examples of the magenta coloring DIR compounds as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,744 and in JP-A-63-89850 above are 5-pyrazolone compounds, which are not always satisfactory in terms of color reproducibility. In addition, it has further been found that such 5-pyrazolone compounds have another drawback of causing extreme color intensification during storage after development, and especially under high-temperature and high-humidity conditions.
JP-A-61-28947, JP-A-62-24252 and JP-A-1-164943 illustrate pyrazoloazole compounds which are chemically stable and which are effective for improving color reproducibility.
However, it has also been found that the storage stability of these pyrazoloazole compounds in photographic materials is still insufficient.